危 (wēi) — (bound form) danger; dangerous; to endanger (used in compounds like 危险, 危机, 危害); (classical) high; steep; upright (e.g., 危楼, 危言)
Definition
危 (wēi) is a bound form meaning 'danger' that only appears inside compounds like 危险 (dangerous), 危机 (crisis), and 危害 (to harm). It also carries a classical sense of 'high / steep', seen in literary words like 危楼.
bound form
dangerdangerousto endanger (used in compounds like 危险, 危机, 危害)(classical) highsteepupright (e.g., 危楼, 危言)
Examples
- ，。Zhè ge dì qū fēi cháng wēi xiǎn, qǐng bú yào kào jìn.This area is very dangerous; please do not approach.
- 。Gōng sī zhèng miàn lín yì chǎng yán zhòng de wēi jī.The company is facing a serious crisis.
- 。Xī yān huì wēi hài jiàn kāng.Smoking will harm your health.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
- 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
- 卩卩jiékneeling person
危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.
Appears in
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